Choose One, Lose the Other?
by stephfarrow94
Summary: Aizen takes Ukitake to Heuco Mundo where he is put into Starrk's care. Ukitake wants his boyfriend, Shunsui, but soon enough, he finds himself looking at Starrk the same way he looks at Shunsui. What will happen when the Captain of the Eighth comes to rescue Ukitake? ShunsuiUkitakeStarrk
1. Chapter 1

**This is a request for Kimi Shiro-Chan. Enjoy :)**

It was very rare for Jyuushiro Ukitake to be sent on a mission to the Living World – much less by himself. At the very least, he was almost always accompanied by his two Third Seats. However, this time, with the repairs of the Seireitei looming over everyone, most of his Division had been busy with other things, and his best friend, the Captain of the Eighth, was overseeing his own squad members as they helped out with the damage.

In fact, the betrayal of the Third, Fifth and Ninth Captains had caused so much mayhem, Ukitake was forced to take on a mission that could be dangerous to his already-frail health. He was supposed to take care of a group of Hollows, but there was always the danger of him falling victim to his illness, one of the reasons he was not usually sent on solo missions.

Taking care of the Hollows had been easy enough, his sickness not getting in the way for once. However, just as he was about to return back to the Soul Society, a familiar reiatsu washed over him, so thick with malice, it felt as if he were drowning.

Jyuushiro dropped to his knees, grabbing his head, his own reiatsu flaring instinctively, the immense mass fighting against the other. He was one of the oldest, strongest Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and not many could rival his spiritual pressure.

However, Sōsuke Aizen was one of the few who could even outdo _his. _Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen accompanied the brunet as they walked towards the white-haired Captain. Aizen looked at calm as ever, stopping just a few feet away from Ukitake.

Ukitake was instantly on his feet, Sogyo no Kotowari in Shikai form. He tensed, knowing that no matter how strong he was, he was more accustomed to fighting alongside the Eighth Captain and, without him, he was not strong enough to face three other Captains – one of who had much more reiatsu.

"Captain Ukitake, it would be much easier for us if you'd come along quietly," Aizen said, soft-spoken as always.

"Why?" Ukitake stepped back, his body tense. "You almost got my subordinate killed and betrayed us all. Haven't you done enough to us?"

"If I take one of their strongest and most loved Captains, they'll all be left in devastation," Aizen explained. "They won't know what to do. They'll all run around and leave openings. It's all part of my plan."

"Plan?" Ukitake's eyes narrowed. "I don't want any part in this plan of yours, Aizen. You've done enough."

"What a shame." Aizen's hand travelled down to Kyoka Suigetsu, grabbing the Zanpakutō. He raised it, smiling as he usually did. "It's too bad that you're already in my illusion, _Captain Ukitake. _Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

Ukitake didn't know what had happened; one second, the three traitors had been standing in front of him, and the next, they were behind him, Gin Ichimaru's Shinso impaling him through his chest. Coughing up blood, he fell to the ground, his eyes wide as he tried to understand what had just happened.

Aizen's expression didn't change as he leant down and lifted the injured Captain into his arms. Tosen grabbed Sogyo no Kotowari, pulling it from its wielder's hands, as Gin opened the garganta, allowing them to head back to Heuco Mundo.

Ukitake struggled weakly within Aizen's arms, but his already-damaged lungs couldn't handle the blow he had suffered, forcing him into a very weak state as throat-tearing coughs ripped their way from his throat, adding more blood to the mix.

Aizen didn't even so much as glance down at the Shinigami in his arms when the older male fell still, weak, barely audible and strained breaths making their way out of Ukitake's chest. He instead made the trip back to Las Noches with his two comrades in tow.

The last thing Ukitake had thought before he had slipped into unconsciousness was that, for the first time in a long time, he was scared, and he wanted his best friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**This was beta'd by the wonderful JALU, who is helping me keep an eye out on room for improvement. I've been sending stuff back to her after flying solo for a few months, so if there are delays in updates, it's probably because I'm waiting for her to send me back the file :) **

When Ukitake's eyes opened after his abduction, the first thing he thought he saw was his best friend. His vision was blurry, and all he saw was brunet hair, so it was no surprise he immediately smiled, believing his previous experience to have been a dream.

"Kyōraku, I had the weirdest dream..." Ukitake's voice was slurred, the slight burning in his chest assumed to be from his illness. He didn't notice the white bandages wrapped tightly around him, too relieved to know that he was still back in the Soul Society. "I dreamt that Aizen had attacked me... I'm so glad it was just a dream..."

"It wasn't a dream."

Ukitake stiffened instantly at an unfamiliar voice. He blinked, trying to focus his vision, before he realised what had happened; the brunet he had thought was his best friend was someone he had never met before. That could only mean one thing... he _hadn't _been dreaming... "Who are you?!"

The blue-grey eyed male looked up from where he had been lazily slouched in the chair against the wall opposite the white-haired Shinigami. He looked very bored, his eyes half lidded as a large frown graced his face. He had stubble on his chin, and his voice was soft, almost as if he couldn't be stuffed being there.

"My name is Coyote Starrk," the wavy-haired male explained. He yawned before he continued speaking. "I am the Primero Espada, and Aizen has put me in charge of your care."

Ukitake growled, trying to get off the bed, but the chains around his wrists prevented him from getting very far. He hadn't even noticed those metal cuffs until they clinked angrily against each other. There was a collar around his neck, absorbing his reiatsu, and he only noticed this when the chain brushed against it. "Let me go this instant!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The brunet shrugged before he lay back down in the chair, almost as if he were planning on falling asleep. "I'm under orders. I'd appreciate it if you'd cooperate. I wouldn't want to hurt you."

"Let me go!" Ukitake was too proud to resort to shouting, but he refused to be a captive of the enemy for a second longer. He pulled harder against the restraints, desperate to get away. "I am not supposed to be here!"

The Espada named Starrk just shrugged before he yawned again. "It would be easier if you didn't resist. Believe me; I would much rather sleep than be in this room, too, but I'm afraid neither of us can have what we want."

Demands and throwing tantrums were beneath Ukitake, so he instead sat quietly, looking around his room. He noticed that he was sitting on a bed, was in a windowless room with bare white walls, and the only other piece of furniture in the room was the chair the Arrancar was sitting on.

There was silence between them for quite a while before Ukitake spoke, the questions weighing him down. "Why am I here?"

"I believe you are here as collateral," Starrk explained, his voice tired. "I do not know all the reasons, but Aizen demanded no harm befall you."

The Captain sighed. "...Will I ever be allowed to leave?"

"We were not told, and we did not ask. I am sorry; this is troublesome for me, as well."

Ukitake sighed and nodded. He knew it wasn't the other's fault that he was here, so laying the blame on the brunet was not called for. He stayed quiet again, not wanting to talk, wanting instead to work out how he would get out of here.

The Captain was sure it wouldn't be easy, but he knew he had to get back to the Soul Society; he had his lover – his best friend – waiting there for him, after all.

_**~~Seireitei~~**_

Shunsui Kyōraku had found it strange when his best friend hadn't shown up for their scheduled dinner date, and even stranger when the other's two Third Seats had no idea where he was. The Eighth Captain wasn't worried too much, knowing that the younger could take care of himself, but still, it was always worrisome when his fellow Captain disappeared without a trace; he was sick, and if he was overwhelmed with an attack...

Kyoraku didn't want to continue thinking down that path; he instead hurried along to the First Captain's headquarters, hoping the old man could tell him where his lover had gone. He hurried through the First Division and didn't ask for permission before he pushed the double doors open and walked into the Head Captain's office.

"Yama-jii, I can't find Ukitake." Kyōraku was slightly out of breath, having been concerned enough to run all the way here from the Thirteenth Division. "Do you know where he is?"

The bald man, Yamamoto, looked up from his desk. His voice was gruff as he replied, not happy about his old student barging in on him like this. "I sent him to the Living World on a mission."

"Was he supposed to be back by now?" the womanising man frowned, his fingers twitching as he thought about what could possibly have kept his best friend away.

Yamamoto nodded. "I believe so, yes. Is there a problem, Shunsui?"

"He missed our date," Kyōraku explained, "and neither of his Third-Seats know where he is."

Yamamoto cracked an eye open at these words. He knew, having been the two Captains' teacher during their Academy days, that there was no way Ukitake would miss a date; the younger male was far too in love with the brunet to even let his sickness get in the way of their plans. "I have not received a status report from him yet."

"Did he go with anyone?" Kyōraku bit his lip, almost afraid to hear the answer – what if the bald male said no?

Yamamoto shook his head. "Jyuushiro had assured me he was in good health. If I do not hear from him by tomorrow afternoon, I will arrange a search party."

Kyōraku's eyes grew wide at these words and he stepped forward, pleading in his voice. "Please let me be a part of it, Yama-jii."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Shunsui; I would like you to be by my side so we can make sure Jyuushiro is found as quickly as possible."

Kyōraku wanted to disagree, but he knew that when Yamamoto was worried about Ukitake and him, it was best to not argue – they were the sons Yamamoto had never had, and they were the sole exception to his emotionless and uncaring nature.

Instead, the sake-loving Captain nodded, unaware of the way he picked at his pink kimono in anxiety; this was very unlike Ukitake, and if something had happened to him...


	3. Chapter 3

When night came – or what Ukitake assumed would be night as there was no way to tell in this windowless room – the white-haired Captain was surprised to find that he was being fed. Starrk had disappeared out of the room after sleeping for the rest of the day, only to return fifteen minutes later with a bowl in his hands.

"I am not hungry," Ukitake said softly, not wanting to be rude at what was apparently an act of kindness, but his survival instincts telling him not to eat it – what if it was poison? Or something equally devastating?

"It's not poisoned," Starrk said without missing a beat, as if he had read the other's mind. "Would you like for me to take a bite and prove it?"

The sickly male wanted so badly to refuse the food, but he was _so hungry...! _Back in the Soul Society, he was always eating, keeping a convenience store of candy in his clothing, but now... As if it had waited for this exact moment, his stomach rumbled, conveying just how hungry he really was.

Ukitake sighed in defeat, lowering his head. What was he supposed to say now without coming off in a cruel manner? This may have been an enemy, but the brunet had been nothing but hospitable towards him – nothing the other had done warranted impolite behaviour.

Starrk silently placed the bowl of ramen into the Shinigami's hands, his eyes half-lidded in what Ukitake knew was boredom.

Taking the bowl, the white-haired male went against everything he knew and picked up the spoon sitting in the food, sipping at the soup. He then grabbed the chopsticks, grabbing a few strands of udon noodles warily.

"...Why are you feeding me?" Ukitake questioned, trying to understand why on earth his enemies would be giving him food – surely they would benefit more from starving him?

"Because I did not believe it right to leave you in hunger," Starrk said as he sat back down on the same chair he had occupied all day.

"But..." The green-eyed male couldn't help himself; he raised the chopsticks to his lips, gulping down the noodles. He swallowed the mouthful before he spoke again, "...Would Aizen not prefer me weak?"

The Primero Espada shrugged, a yawn escaping his lips. He glanced at the doorway briefly as it opened and a dull green-haired girl entered, clear features of an Arrancar gracing her body. "Aizen does not know I fed you, and I do not really care about what he prefers. Please, eat. It will be less effort for us all."

Ukitake nodded, understanding that Starrk wasn't the only one in danger here – before the betrayal, Aizen had been a kind-hearted, gentle person but, now after the traitor made it clear it had all been an act, who's to say that Aizen wouldn't be cruel enough to take drastic measures against his subordinate's actions?

"...Thank you..." the Thirteenth Captain whispered, his attention moving to his food; it felt so good to get something into his stomach after several hours of hunger pains.

The frail man listened silently to Starrk's conversation with the green-haired girl who had entered the room, learning that her name was Lilynette Gingerbuck and she was a sealed part of Starrk's power. Her words and mannerisms were vulgar, upsetting the green-eyed Shinigami; he was very conservative, frowning upon anything but a polite, respectful and charming child - maybe it had been the way he himself had been raised, but it just didn't feel right to see a kid being so improper.

However, Ukitake couldn't deny that it was amusing to watch the girl berate Starrk about being so lazy, climbing all over him in a way that surely resembled a monkey before hitting the brunet. He smiled softly before he raised more noodles to his lips, eager to finish off his meal.

The way Starrk responded was characteristically lazy, slouching even further in his chair and just raising his arm over his eyes. He grunted a few words out before he closed his eyes, attempting to sleep, but he was soon awoken when Lilynette pinched his nipples, provoking a loud yelp from the brunet.

As much as Ukitake didn't want to admit it, he knew that things were better here than they could have been with any other Arrancar; Starrk seemed like a genuinely nice person, even if it were only because he seemed to be too lazy to be truly bothered by much.

Why was it that thoughts of Kyoraku suddenly flashed through the Captain's mind at this acknowledgement, even if for only a second?

_**~~Later that night~~**_

Ukitake probably shouldn't have been surprised when the Primero Espada announced that he was going to sleep in the chair tucked away in a corner for the night, not leaving the room. It was probably a precautionary measure put in place by Aizen, whether to keep Ukitake from escaping or even attacking the other Espada, the long-haired man would surely never know.

It was slightly uncomfortable for the Thirteenth Captain, not used to sharing a room with another male apart from Kyōraku. He felt as if he were intruding upon the other's personal space, not quite sure on how to hold himself. Should he just act normally as he would if it were only Kyoraku? Or should he pretend Starrk wasn't there? No; the latter would be very unbecoming of him. But if he were to act as he would around Kyōraku... He couldn't do that, either; he was always intimate with his lover when they were alone.

As if sensing the elder's discomfort, Starrk spoke, an almost invisible grin on his face. "Please ignore my presence as I will not trouble you, Ukitake."

"I'm imposing..." The white-haired man frowned, hating this feeling of inadequacy.

Starrk shook his head. "If anything, I'm the imposition." With that said, he closed his eyes and, in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position, he went straight to sleep, having barely moved from the chair he had been in almost all day.

Ukitake, as best he could when he was still chained to his bed, curled up under the covers, trying to fight back tears. The fact that he was here, far away from the man he loved and would probably never see again, finally became reality. The silence that filled the room, the uncomfortable cold that not having a sleeping companion created, the way there was no warm chest to snuggle in against, nor those strong arms that held him close every night. There was _nothing _but the loneliness to keep him company tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

When morning came, Ukitake couldn't help but be thankful that Starrk was here with him; the brunet was so kind to him, much more so than he should have been considering they were enemies.

"Thank you, Starrk; that was delicious." The white-haired Shinigami handed back the bowl he had been eating out of, a small smile on his face.

Starrk took the bowl, his face expressionless as he grunted in response. He put the dish on the bedside table next to them, yawning as he did so. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, sighing before he spoke.

"I have to go out today," the brunet said simply. "Aizen has orders for me."

Ukitake couldn't help but frown at these words. If Starrk was leaving... then who was going to stay with him? "...I..."

As if reading his mind, Starrk spoke again, a slight hint of sympathy in his voice. "No one will bother you if that is what's worrying you."

At the mention of something possibly bothering him, Jyuushiro's voice hardened. "I'm not worried. I just... I... I'm starting to get used to you, that's all. I... You're different from the expectations I had for this place. And... in a way... you remind me of my partner... It's comforting..."

Starrk nodded in understanding, trying to put himself in the other's shoes; if he had been separated from Lilynette, he'd probably be the same way. "I will not be long. I will be back in a few hours. Just stay here."

Ukitake sighed. Why was he trying so hard to make his enemy stay with him? That was what they were; enemies. They shouldn't be getting along as well as they were; they should hate each other, try to kill each other, just... not be like this. Especially not be reminded of his lover.

Slumping his shoulders, Ukitake spoke again. "...Alright."

Starrk didn't reply as he turned around to leave the room. Without a second glance, he exited, closing the door quietly behind him.

Ukitake lay down on his bed, curling up into a tight ball. He sighed again, his mind full of thoughts about his lover.

"Shunsui..." Ukitake whispered. "...I miss you..."

Closing his eyes, the white-haired man went back to sleep, dreaming of the life he had been taken from.

_**~~Later that night~~**_

Ukitake was surprised that he had not been bothered at all by any other Arrancar during Starrk's absence, but it made him realise that the brunet probably was a truthful person. Maybe... just maybe... the other _could _be trusted, even if it were only to believe in their words.

When Starrk walked back into the white-haired male's room a few hours later, he couldn't help but let a tiny smile form on his face as he noticed the way the Shinigami was curled up in the sheets, sleeping peacefully.

The Primero Espada stepped forward, reaching out a hand. He didn't exactly understand his own reasoning for doing this, but he soon found himself running his calloused digits through strands of white hair.

Ukitake let out a soft whisper in his sleep, a name that was unfamiliar to the brunet. He pressed against the fingers massaging his scalp, a bright smile highlighting his features. He mumbled again before he lay silent, his breath coming in gentle gasps.

Starrk pulled his hand away and moved back to the chair he had been occupying since Ukitake's arrival. He mused over what he had done, trying to find a logical explanation for suddenly wanting to touch the other. However, he could come up with nothing except that, for the first time in his life, he had found himself wanting someone to be more than just a comrade to him; he wanted a _lover._

_**~~Soul Society~~**_

Shunsui Kyōraku awoke with a loud gasp, sitting upright as the vivid nightmares took over his mind. Ever since his lover's disappearance, all he could think about was the other's safety. He was terrified that Ukitake was hurt – or worse. He wanted nothing more than to be there with him, to bring him home, but how was he to do that when he had not even the slightest clue of where to search?

With a sigh, Kyōraku pushed himself off the futon he shared with his lover, hoping that his Lieutenant was awake. He pulled a sleeping kimono over his otherwise bare body before he left the bedroom in the back of the house he lived in with Ukitake. Maybe the woman he loved so much would be able to help him calm down and get back to sleep; there was no point in trying to find Ukitake when he couldn't think coherently.

To the Captain's immense relief, the woman was awake and, strangely enough, welcomed him into her home, something she never did. Kyōraku was sure she was just being sympathetic to Ukitake's disappearance.

"I don't know what to do, Nanao-chan..." Kyōraku whispered, his usually cheerful expression dulled down to a frown. He was standing in the doorway to the living room, too heartbroken to do anything else. "...I... I miss him so much..."

Nanao Ise was sipping at a cup of tea, understanding her superior's distress; everyone associated with the Gotei Thirteen had taken the white-haired Shinigami's abduction painfully. It was no surprise that Kyōraku, the one with the most emotional attachments to him, took it hardest.

"Captain, I think you should just rest," Ise tried to instruct; she could sense the man was in no shape to be awake lest he make himself worse.

Kyōraku shook his head. "...I can't sleep, Nanao-chan... I..."

The woman closed her eyes, knowing immediately what the man was getting at. She nodded after a few seconds before she stood up and gestured to the couch she had been sitting on. "You can sleep here for the night, sir. I'll get you some blankets."

Kyōraku couldn't even offer a smile as he trudged over to the couch before he dropped his weight on it. He mumbled a thank you, acknowledging the fact that his Lieutenant must be very worried if she was allowing him into her home – especially to sleep in said house.

When the black-haired woman returned with a blanket a few minutes later and said goodnight, the brunet was left alone to wallow in his thoughts. He wondered if he would ever see Ukitake again and, if he did, what state it would be in. Would his lover be too injured? Dying? Scarred for life? Oh, so many possibilities...


End file.
